Exiled
by tecnagirl
Summary: They're finally together and everyone is happy for them. Except me. Is there anywhere I can go to get away from her?


This is pretty short, but I think it's nice. Not as depressing as my last one, at least. Take a look.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. That should do it.

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"Hey Sora! I knew it would happen!" Tidus grins. He has one of the goofiest smiles I have ever seen. Sora takes the cake on that one, but Tidus looks so happy, it almost makes me smile too. Then Tidus disappears, swept up in the mass of students heading home.

"Knew what would happen?" I ask the boy next to me. Sora. He is smiling now too. It always warms me to see that childish face of his, like Sora is the only thing I'll ever need. And I do believe it's true.

"Oh, sorry Riku, I thought Kairi told you. We're going out now. Isn't that great?"

Wham. The force of the news feels like a physical blow. There is so much pain, and I can't, for a moment, tell what is physical and what is mental- just that it all hurts like hell.

"Riku?" I realize I'd stopped, and pick up my pace to catch up to Sora.

"Yeah, it is great. Just… great." Sora eyes me skeptically. "I simply never thought it would actually happen. You were always too much of a scaredy-cat to ask her before." One last ditch attempt I have to hide emotion is to lightly insult the person I'm talking to, in what I hope looks like friendly banter. It works, at least a little bit- Sora smiles again, apparently reassured. He begins talking animatedly about where he's going to take her on their first date.

Sora is, always has been, and always will be my best friend. In the beginning, in was only us two. From kindergarten to sixth grade, it was us two, us two in school (I made my mom enroll me in sixth grade twice so I wouldn't have to go to middle school without him), us two on our island (I noticed three others there, but we never played with them), us two in various competitions (I was always better than he was, no matter what we did). We weren't stranger to sadness, or jealousy, but our world was mostly simple friendship.

All this changed when that girl came.

Sora immediately took a liking to her. He welcomed her into our group with open arms. He tried so hard to impress her. And it worked, even though I was still always better than he was. Kairi liked him, too.

I was jealous.

Everyone thought I had an irrational jealousy of Sora; after all, I was stronger, I was smarter, and could have the beautiful redheaded angel if I wanted (Ha! As if!). They didn't notice how fragile our bond was and the aura of discontent it hid. The smiles, the teasing, all lies. She and I hated each other. _Hate_ each other- we still do. Having that girl around brought out bad feelings, bitterness, sadness, anger, insignificance, love. I realized I love Sora as soon as she started to pursue him. Love is only a bad feeling when there is no hope of requital. Which makes love a horrible feeling indeed.

"Earth to Riku!" Sora says, waving his hand in my face. I look around, realizing we are on Sora's street. I had zoned out for the better part of a half hour. Oh. "So, I'm going to go now, okay? Wish me luck!"

"Of course," I say, but Sora is already running home. "I wish you luck," I whisper at his retreating form, and then I start to cry.

My immediate thought is to go to the secret place, so I do. I haven't visited the small, hidden cave for over two years now. The cold walls soothe my heart, numbing it, as I brush my fingertips along scenes carved in the innocence of childhood. This is my place, and Sora's. A last sanctuary of forgotten dreams. I close my eyes and will myself seven again, ready to fight a monster in unexplored territory. Picking up a stone and engraving a small sword, the first of many drawings. Eight again, dubbing myself king of this small castle. Nine again, finding loose obsidian stones in small hollows. Twelve again, finding her drawings in our cave.

Back at seventeen, I stare at a new drawing. That girl and Sora, faced towards each other, sharing paopu fruit. How… romantic. In this moment, I know I have lost. She's won, completely. He cannot be yours, she says with this. Not even here. This is no longer your place.

Fine. I pick up a stone and scratch out all my old drawings. The chocobo, the man on the moon, the sword, all of them. It takes a while (I've made a lot of drawings), but I work quickly, so soon all traces of me are gone.

But why should it be only me exiled? I was, after all, here before that girl. She's a trespasser, she has no right to stay. I take my stone and scratch her drawings out, too. Now all that's left is Sora. No matter whose etchings come and go, his will always be here. But I will never see them again. I whisper my last farewells and walk away.

Congratulations, you two. Congratulations.

* * *

So, like it? My friend says it seems like Riku's gonna commit suicide. I don't think so- I get the feeling he'll go sleep the next few days away in bed. Or, maybe he will end his life (DON"T DO IT RIRI!). I don't know. Not in my fanfiction, not in my jurisdiction. Thank you for reading!


End file.
